Bridgeman ranks 29th among Louisville’s all-time leading scorers with 1,348 points across 87 games on 51.7% shooting. He also totaled 657 rebounds and 233 assists.
His 15.5 points per game rank 14th on U of L’s career scoring average leaderboard.
He was selected eighth overall in the 1975 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, then traded to Milwaukee.
Bridgeman’s No. 10 jersey is one of 20 honored jerseys in U of L basketball history.
Former Milwaukee Bucks and businessman Junior Bridgeman answers a question during his significant minority ownership announcement at the Sports Science Center in Milwaukee on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Bucks
Bridgeman spent 12 years in the NBA, almost entirely with the Bucks, averaging 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
He became one of the NBA’s top players off the bench, averaging double figures in scoring for eight consecutive seasons. He consistently ranked among the league’s highest-scoring non-starters and helped the Bucks reach the postseason in eight of his 10 seasons.
His 711 appearances for the Bucks rank third in franchise history.
The franchise retired his jersey in 1988.
“Junior’s retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks’ success,” the Milwaukee Bucks said in a statement Tuesday. “His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation’s top business leaders and, last September, Junior’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner. His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization.”
In 2016, Forbes listed him as the fourth-wealthiest athlete behind Michael Jordan, David Beckham and Arnold Palmer.
In 2024, Bridgeman bought a 10% stake in the Bucks.
Longtime Milwaukee Bucks announcer Eddie Doucette stayed in contact with Bridgeman well beyond his playing days.
His 711 appearances for the Bucks rank third in franchise history.
The franchise retired his jersey in 1988.
“Junior’s retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks’ success,” the Milwaukee Bucks said in a statement Tuesday. “His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation’s top business leaders and, last September, Junior’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner. His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization.”
In 2016, Forbes listed him as the fourth-wealthiest athlete behind Michael Jordan, David Beckham and Arnold Palmer.
In 2024, Bridgeman bought a 10% stake in the Bucks.
Longtime Milwaukee Bucks announcer Eddie Doucette stayed in contact with Bridgeman well beyond his playing days.
Doucette told The Courier Journal that Bridgeman was one of his favorite athletes, but not just for his play on the court.
“JB had a way of knowing what he wanted to do and a plan to do it and was not afraid to roll up his sleeves to get it done,” Doucette said. “He did it. Who wouldn’t admire him?
“I have admiration for his business achievements and for the kind of person he was. Through and through, none better.”
Business endeavors
Bridgeman built up a restaurant franchise empire spanning hundreds of locations, including Wendy’s, Chili’s and Fazoli’s.
At one point, he was America’s second-largest Wendy’s franchise owner, with more than 250 restaurants. He also owned 125 Chili’s restaurants, 45 Fannie May Chocolate stores and numerous other franchises.
His businesses employed more than 11,000 people, according to the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 2014.
He also formed the Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company in 2017, servicing Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois, according to the company .
Bridgeman served as president and CEO of Bridgeman Foods Inc. In 2018, he became a bottler for The Coca-Cola Co.
After many years in the food industry, Bridgeman “was one of the most successful private business families in American business,” said Sandy Douglas, then an executive with Coca-Cola North America, in announcing the distribution partnership.
“As you get to know Junior Bridgeman, you know that he is one of the world’s best operators,” Douglas said, “because he does an amazing job taking care of his people.”
In December 2020, Bridgeman Sports and Media purchased Ebony and Jet magazines for $14 million after the publications went bankrupt earlier in the year.
Kentucky Derby Eve gala
Bridgeman was also known for his family’s Kentucky Derby Eve gala. First held in the early 2000s, The Trifecta Gala, which held its final event in 2024, was an elegant affair known for attracting big-name entertainment and Hollywood, fashion, and sports celebrities. The Derby Eve party has gone by different names, has been held in various locations throughout the city, and has welcomed hundreds of celebrity entertainers and guests including Angela Bassett , Michael Jordan , Anthony Anderson , Terrence Howard , Star Jones , Tina Knowles Lawson , and Gabrielle Union .
Performers at the prestigious event have included Usher , Stevie Wonder , the band Earth, Wind and Fire , Dave Chappelle , Nelly , Darius Rucker , Chris Rock , Steve Harvey , Arsenio Hall , Michael McDonald , Miguel , Jill Scott , comedian Sinbad , and many others.
“My parents, Doris and Junior Bridgeman, along with Billy and Linda Harmon and Alice and Wade Houston, originally started the Derby Grand Gala to give back to selected charities and provide visible diversity during the Derby celebrations,” daughter Eden Sklenar previously told The Courier Journal.
Through the years, the gala raised funds for several charitable organizations including The V Foundation , West End School , Dare to Care , The University of Louisville Autism Center and Big Brothers Big Sister Kentuckaina .
Bridgeman was also a member of the board of directors for Churchill Downs Inc. since 2012.
Churchill CEO Bill Carstanjen said: “Junior was not just an esteemed member of the CDI Board of Directors, but a one-of-a-kind figure who embodied the spirit of the Kentucky Derby and whose entrepreneurial vision and commitment were instrumental in shaping our company…”
History
Bridgeman was born in East Chicago, Indiana and named after his father. The elder Bridgeman worked in the steel mills. His mother was a homemaker. “Junior” grew up among two brothers and a sister. He attended East Washington High School.
His senior year, Bridgeman starred on one of the greatest high school basketball teams in Indiana history: the 1971 East Washington High team.
The Senators went undefeated, 29-0, en route to a state title. Bridgeman averaged 17.3 points per game that season as part of a starting line-up that included Tim Stoddard and Pete Trgovich. All three would go on to reach the Final Four in college. Stoddard would go on to spend 15 years in Major League Baseball.
The University of Louisville offered him a scholarship, and Bridgeman graduated in 1975 from the College of Arts and Sciences, earning a degree in psychology.
It was in college that he met Doris Griffith, a Louisville native.
Griffith graduated from the College of Business in 1974. They married in 1976 and raised three children — Eden, Justin and Ryan.
All of Bridgeman’s children have been involved in the family businesses.
Manna, the parent company over the family’s restaurant franchises, is based in Louisville, according to the company .
Doris helped build the various Bridgeman family businesses. She also takes part in many faith-based charities and community service endeavors.
“Today, we lost a kind, generous and groundbreaking legend,” Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement about Junior. “He was an All-American at U of L, an NBA All-Star, and a self-made billionaire. Yet, I will most remember Junior Bridgeman for his quiet, impactful assistance to others in need, his love for Doris and his entire family, and his never-ending support for our community. Junior made us all better people and Louisville a better city. …”
Junior Bridgeman would become a U of L trustee from 2000 to 2007 and serve as its board chairman from 2003-05.
In 2015, the university awarded Junior and Doris with honorary doctorates for public service in recognition of community service and support of the university.
“There are no finer people than Doris and Junior Bridgeman,” then-U of L President James Ramsey told The Courier Journal in 2015. “They have combined brilliance and hard work to achieve many personal and professional successes.”
Junior Bridgeman debuted with the Bucks in 1975-76, and played 10 of his 12 NBA seasons with the Bucks.
This story may be updated.
Stephanie Kuzydym is an enterprise and investigative sports reporter, with a focus on the health and safety of athletes. She can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her at @stephkuzy .
